From 10-3 (ish) the streets of Leek are buzzing with live music, market stalls (great ones, unusual and gorgeous things for sale) , live music, food, cafes, bars, pubs, delis, shops and lots of smiling faces. We may have mentioned it before, but we absolutely love the Sunday Supplement. Such a lovely atmosphere, its like being on holiday, It's like when you stumble across that wonderful little market in a quaint little town whilst out exploring. Except that this is in your doorstep - come and see, you'll love it, we promise ! Oh, and it's free parking on Sunday's in council car parks of which there are loads, see the map below. The Sunday Supplement is the first Sunday of every month so put the following dates in your calendar :-
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This Sunday the 7th February is the first Sunday Supplement of 2016! In case you haven't been before, from 10am the streets of Leek are full of fantastic artisan and local market stalls selling a real selection of food, drink, handmade, arty and unusual items. There's often live music, sometimes dancing but there is always a great atmosphere and rain or shine the town has a great buzz and it's really a fabulous day out. The shops are all open (including ourselves) and there are lots of other events going on too most months, this month there is an Art and Antiques fair at the Foxlowe Arts Centre http://www.foxloweartscentre.org.uk/event/art-and-antiques-fair-2/?instance_id=13693 which we can't wait to have a mooch around . Many shops and eating/drinking establishments in Leek are dog friendly https://www.facebook.com/dogfriendlyleek which means that you can bring your dog into the shop or cafe/pub and enjoy your day without feeling guilty that your furry friends aren't included! Reward yourself for getting through the long dark month of January and come and support your local thriving town, we're full of independent shops, cafes, delis, restaurants and pubs , see you on Sunday :-) We're open 10-9pm on Friday the 20th November for all the fun and festivities of the Leek Christmas Lights Switch On!It's a really great fun atmosphere with tons going on, lots of Market Stalls including many of the gorgeous Makers that you normally find on the Sunday Supplement market on the first Sunday of the month in Leek.
The shops are all open late and the town is really buzzing. Pop down and see us and say hello. We've even made our windows all Christmassy in anticipation...! We love Printer's Trays at Alcove! If we see them we snap them up quickly to ensure that we always have them in stock for you! Originally used to house all the original letters use din the printer's press, each one is different with varying sized compartments and shapes. For such an simple, unassuming item they really are transformed into a great display when they are filled with your treasures and cherished items! The Printer's Tray below is ours at home. We've had it for a few years now but have only just got round to hanging it on the wall. It is filled with our memories collected over time, such as a crocheted poppy made by my best friend, our daughters' teething necklace and a cross from our honeymoon in Brazil. One of our lovely customers shared the below image of their Printers' Tray on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/alcoveuk
They said that they were filling it with Earth treasures - rocks, fossils, shells, feathers, pine cones. And moomins! We think that it looks better than ours at home really! But as they're so personal each one is unique. We've got a few in stock at Alcove at the moment and they are approximately £45 each. What would you put in yours?! We've got a permanent little helper at Alcove this past week. He wasn't planned but he is certainly very welcome and a fits in really well in our little shop. His name is Bailey and he is a one year old Cavachon. He's come to live with us this week after his previous owner could no longer look after him due to ill health, and he seems to be settling in to our noisy family life really well. Here he is at the front door after his walk sporting his new collar and lead from www.sweetpeaandboo.co.uk . A gorgeous shop just a few streets away in Leek that makes hand made doggie accessories from beautiful fabrics. He loves coming to the shop with us each day and after a long morning walk he settles down happily for a nap on a crochet blanket under the shop desk, waking up only for a fuss from a customer or to say hello to another dog who has come in to the shop!
So far he's showed himself to be the perfect shop dog and he's a much loved member of the family already! As visitors to the shop can testify, we love to make a display at Alcove! We are lucky though because It's not difficult to come up with something interesting when we have such a good choice of vintage and new items to choose from. We've always like mixing vintage and new interior items , we don't believe that people only have new or old things in their homes, they have a mixture, and we like to reflect that at Alcove. if we like the look of something then we will put it in the shop for your perusal ! its amazing how a selection of seemingly random items can look really great together in a display. If you love it then go for it we say! Just a few simple little vintage bottles can look stunning when they're grouped together in a collection displaying the same flowers or foliage. I adore vintage glass bottles, they're my 'thing' and although I have loads at home, if I spot an unusual one in an antique shops or market I just have to have it! I also don't like to pass them on which is why they're rarely for sale at Alcove! They're stunning in summer filled with little sweet peas or roses from the garden, and you can change the flowers through the seasons, or even use dried Lavender sprigs for a thrifty bit of fragrance at home. Of course, making a pleasing display is a lot easier when the items that you are displaying are absolutely gorgeous, like our new Burleigh range !
We placed one of our Roo Abrook vintage book page prints (£12) onto the display , framed in one of our freestanding glass frames (£22.95). Overall, when it comes to making a display, we think that if you like it then just go for it. We'd always prefer an eclectic display that reflects your own taste over a minimalist , understated home anyday, but we like to be different! ![]() We've just taken delivery of a new range of Light-Up Letters at Alcove! We ordered these letters over six months ago and we have been waiting with nervous anticipation for them to arrive to see if they are as great as we remember. We're happy to say that they are! We don't stock a great deal of letters, just some lovely vintage gold or metal letters that we've picked up along the way and that have a unique look to them that fit in with a modern vintage/industrial interiors look. So although these letters are new, we thought that they fit in perfectly with the look of Alcove, and they're a major interiors trend for the months to come. We always like to get in their first with the Interiors trends, if something had been fashionable for ages and has filtered down onto the high street then chances are we've moved on from it, or we're putting a twist on it! These letters have a great weathered look that we found really appealing, the wood is a good shade and the light bulbs are a nice shape, size and spaced well. The letters come with a bracket so that they can be wall hung, and are battery powered so there are no ugly cables trailing your walls Overall we absolutely love these letters and judging by the reception that they've had, you guys do too. Oh, talking of receptions, we've had some orders through for wedding receptions already, great uses of the letters have included the letters C&S which will light up a couple's initials at their wedding reception, L,O,V,E and we've had an enquiry for MRS & MRS. Of course the letters look great individually, for your own initials or as a light in a child's bedroom perhaps. They look lovely lit up too, they're not too bright and blinding. We also love the Ampersand (&) which is a fab shape and looks great as an interiors accessory on its own. Each of the letters is priced at £25. Leek's Sunday Supplement is the first Sunday of every month, and that is this Sunday!! We really look forward to the Sunday Supplement. Leek is really buzzing with live music, food, and the wonderful makers market. Leek's shops, bars and cafes are also all open this Sunday, so after you've had a mooch around you can take your time over a drink or lunch in one of the numerous great eateries we have in Leek. We are often asked by our customers to recommend somewhere to eat and we always procrastinate and offer a few different suggestions, explaining that it is really hard to choose as we have so many favourites and each is lovely in different ways! Pick up one of the Totally Locally Leek maps for a list of all the independent cafes & restaurants you can choose from. The market is a fabulous mix of stalls including handmade, artisan, food, drink, original art, jewellery, gifts, everything that is just that little bit different and all made within the local area Don't forget that it is Fathers' Day soon, ( the 21st June) so this is the last Sunday Supplement Market before then. Dads are so hard to buy for, they always pretend to not really want anything but are delighted when you manage to find them a thoughtful little something! I've included a sample of photos from previous Sunday Supplement market stalls that would all make great gift ideas for men. Delicious locally made food, ale, leather goods or the made in Britain and from Leek 'British Boxers' ? All lovely presents for the hard to buy for men in your life! The Sunday Supplement has a great atmosphere for a leisurely day out, wandering the lovely streets of Leek and being a tourist in your own town! Did you know that many of Leek's shops and cafe's also display 'dog friendly Leek' stickers? This means that your dog is welcome to come into the shop too with you, so you can relax knowing that you can have a day out with all the family! The sun is forecast to keep on shining for this Sunday, so see you in Leek! Debbie, Alcove!
We just love hearing what our customers have planned for them and how they will hang them in their own home. The ideas are often as diverse as the customers themselves and we hear some fabulous ideas, we also really love to see Customer's photos when they have filled them. One customer purchased the extra large frames to display some beautiful paintings she picked up in Venice on holiday. The glass frames don't detract from the beautiful painting and they can be popped straight in and hung. One customer bought her vintage photograph into the shop to select the right size. Weren't her parents a handsome pair?! The beauty of these glass frames is that you just open the two panes of glass and pop the image in. No need to get mounts trimmed to size or worry about getting the frame size exactly right, they look equally good completely filled or with glass showing around the edge. Our tiny glass frames can be spaced between other frames on a feature wall or hung in a cluster for effect. These are just a few of the hundreds of different ways these frames can be styled and enjoyed.
Feeling inspired? What would you put in yours?!! It's April at last, the sun is shining ( at the moment) and the Bank Holiday Weekend is almost here! It's been a long time coming and we can't wait. If you are wondering what to do with your extra time this weekend then there is lots going on in Leek. On Friday and Saturday there is an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddies, they can complete a trail across Leek with their map, each independent shop will provide a treat and a sticker for the back of the map and when it's completed they can be entered into the grand prize draw. On Saturday there is the usual Antiques and Collectibles market that takes place every week 'on the cobbles' in the market square in the town centre. From early on until the late afternoon you will find a fantastic, eclectic mix of stallholders with lots of treasures to be found. We adore this market and consider ourselves very lucky to have it on our doorstep. On Sunday is the Totally Locally Sunday Supplement Market. This fantastic Artisan market is held on the first Sunday of every month and as well as a great collection of artisan and independent stall holders there is live music and great food available. Many of Leek's fab independent shops are open 11-3 (including ourselves) and many of the fabulous cafes, restaurants and pubs are open too, which we think adds up to a perfect lazy Sunday. In addition to all these great goings on, with effect from this Sunday, Alcove will now be open every Sunday 11-3, along with a great mixture of other independent shops and cafes in Leek. We know how difficult it can be to get to the shops when you have a busy life so we hope this will make things easier for you.
Leek is a fantastic place to go for a mooch around the shops, a coffee and a cake. Its got a fab atmosphere, lovely shop holders, beautiful surroundings, dog ( & kid) friendly, hell if our kids haven't trashed Alcove already then you don't need to worry about yours!! Happy Weekend guys!! |
AuthorGary, Owner and the dedication behind alcove Archives
May 2022
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